Cutting The Cord and Ditching Dish

Remember when I wrote a post about our 12 month spending analysis, and how 5.5% of our expenses are utilities, of which a good chunk is our monthly satellite TV?  After a few weeks of research, we finally made the leap to cutting the cord!  We are now officially TV streaming people. 

We, along with most people, didn’t really understand how far streaming live TV has come in the last two years.  There are actually many choices to stream live TV.  There’s Hulu Live, Playstation Vue, Sling TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV Now, DirecTV Now, etc.  For our needs, we evaluated Hulu Live and YouTube TV.  Most of these live streaming TV services will offer a free trial of a few days to a week so you can try out how streaming TV works, how it looks and functions, and how the interface works.  We did a week of free trial with Hulu Live, then did 5 day trial of YouTube TV. 

Here were the functions we were most concerned about, and how the two services stacked up.

1. Channel Selection:  YouTube TV has over 70 channels, while Hulu Live has almost the exact same number, but also includes Hulu original content and on-demand catalog.  There really wasn’t any major differences in channel selection.  We were mainly concerned about sports channels such as Big Ten Network, FS1, ESPN, CBS Sports Network, etc. and they all have them.
2. Cost:  YouTube TV is $49.99/month.  Hulu Live is $45/month.  We also looked at AT&T TV Now, which has a $50/month plan and a $70/month plan.  For AT&T TV Now, you only get the Big Ten Network on the $70/month tier, so we eliminated them immediately.
3. Cloud DVR:  Hulu Live gives you only 50 hours on their cloud DVR, while YouTube TV gives you UNLIMITED DVR and keeps the recordings for 9 months.  And you only have to tell it what your favorite sports teams are, and it will record every single game that your team is airing. Same with favorite shows. I dig it!
4. Number of Simultaneous Devices/Streams:  Hulu TV allows 2 devices/streams, while YouTube TV allows 3 devices/streams.  You can watch on your smart TV, Roku, Fire stick, iPad, iPhone.  We watched the Ohio State football game while at the airport, on our iPad.
5. Skipping Commercials:  Hulu TV doesn’t allow you to skip commercials (even on DVR recordings), unless you pay an additional $10/month.  YouTube TV allows commercial skip on shows that aren’t available on-demand.

The streaming picture quality was pretty much the same between Hulu Live and YouTube TV.  

A frequent question that we’ve gotten from family/friends is:  Can you get big events like the Super Bowl, the Oscars, etc.?  Well YES.  It is EXACTLY the same as cable/satellite TV, except much much cheaper!  (And you don’t pay taxes/fees like cable/satellite.  The price IS the amount you’re charged.)  We have over 70 channels of live TV, including all local channels, major networks, major cable channels, sports channels, etc.  When we looked at which channels we actually watch, it was only a handful.  Cable/satellite claims to give you hundreds of channels, but most of it is useless channels that we never watched, such as shopping channels, religious channels, double-counted HD vs SD channels, etc.  The only channel that I want to watch that isn’t available on YouTube TV is the Hallmark Channel, and I plan to pay for a month of Hallmark streaming for $7 during the holidays. 

After our free trials, we decided that YouTube TV best fit our needs and signed up!  I called a couple of days ago to cancel Dish Network. They offered to lower our monthly bill from $124 to $80. Too little, too late! I kept saying "no thank you, I just want to cancel the service". After three times, he finally gave up and gave me the deets on returning the equipment.  We are saving almost $75/month! And good riddance to Dish Network. Seriously. Why would I pay hardware rental fees for three TVs, when I can stream live TV with every channel I want to watch, on all three TVs, without equipment rental. Also no contract, so I can come and go as I please. Bye Felicia! Better late than never! And I’m saving $900/year!  Woohoo!

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Nashville Trip | Con of Thrones Cosplay

As with any fan convention, cosplay was a big part of Con of Thrones in Nashville.  We weren’t clever enough to come up with our own costumes this time, we only wore Game of Thrones t-shirts.  But we saw so many good cosplayers with multiple awesome costumes!

A note:  Some of these photos were downloaded from the CoT app or screenshot from Instagram.  When possible and I could find it, the creator’s IG account is linked.

In the first photo above, Todd posed with a Sansa Stark and a Beric Dondarrion.

We saw this group getting their photos taken.  Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Varys, Sansa/Marjorie?, Jaqen H’ghar.

And my personal highlight at CoT, a photo with a dog whose real name was Ghost!  And his mom dressed as Cersei.  Their Instagram account is here.

Todd found a George RR Martin doppelganger!  When he lifted the flap on his shirt up, it said “Not today”, ha ha!

A Jon Snow and me with my “You know nothing Jon Snow” shirt on!

Todd with an Arya Stark.  She looked so good!

Me and a Varys.  Really great costume.

We found a Wun Wun The Giant on stilts! 

He was so good that even Nicolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) got a photo with him.

Arya executing Little Finger (Petyr Baelish) from season 7.

He looked so great and so much like Little Finger that Todd had to find him on the last day to get a photo with him! 

Us with Tywin Lannister. 

He and his wife got a hilarious photo with Nicolaj Coster-Waldau.

I LOVED this one of Tormund, Jon Snow, and Ghost!  Just how I imagined how the three of them lived out their lives in the Far North at the end, with the Wildlings.

Other awesome cosplay…

Three awesome Sansa Starks.

Jon Snow and Little Finger

Todd and I had a photo op to sit on the Throne! 

That’s it for my Con of Thrones 2019 Nashville recap!  Hope you enjoyed the Nashville eats and a look at the Con of Thrones programming too.  It was a really memorable trip that I will look upon fondly for years to come!

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Nashville Trip | Con of Thrones Programming

We attended the Con of Thrones (CoT) convention in Nashville from July 12-14 this year.  The trip was part of our all-year 25th anniversary celebration.  As the time for CoT drew near, we downloaded the Con of Thrones app onto our phones to plan out which sessions we wanted to attend.  There were a full seven hours of sessions per day, from 10am-5pm, plus night time fun such as cosplay contest, karaoke, game night, etc.  Each hour of programming had several choices in different ballrooms, with the Ice Main Stage auditorium serving as the biggest draw each hour.  Each breakout room was named after a sword in Game of Thrones!

An example of some of the sessions available in just one hour of programming.  How did we even pick??!

If you’ve ever been to the San Diego Comic Con, you would know that trying to get into one of the main big panels in Hall H is impossible.  That was not the case at CoT.  While the convention was pretty full, we didn’t have any trouble getting into the sessions we wanted to see.  That part was really awesome!  Early on, Todd and I picked our own sessions that we wanted to attend.  He picked mostly book discussion sessions.  I picked the TV show sessions, since I hadn’t read the books.  Some of our sessions overlapped.  We felt fine going to our own favorite things and then re-convening for lunch or sessions that we both picked to attend.

Friday 7/12/2019 – here are the sessions I attended (links to YouTube videos where available)

• 10:00am - Visions and Clues:  Foreshadowing on Game of Thrones
• 11:05am - Endgame:  Breaking Down Game of Thrones’ Big Finish
• 12:10pm - Spotlight:  Hannah Murray (she played Gilly, Samwell’s “wife”)
• 1:15pm - Becoming the Zeitgeist:   The Evolution of Game of Thrones Media Coverage
• 2:20pm - The Wolf and the Crows Q&A:  Life on Set
• 3:25pm - Spotlight: Jerome Flynn (he played Ser Bronn of the Blackwater)
• 4:30pm – History of Westeros: Live Recording

The highlight of Day 1 was the panel discussion on how media coverage changed as the show became more and more popular.  Some of these journalists and podcasters worked insane schedules in order to publish content out on Monday mornings after the show aired.

Another highlight was the Q&A with The Wolf and the Crows, the three extras that were on GoT for almost the entire eight seasons.  They talked about life on the set and what it was like filming the biggest show ever.  With their own R-rated humor added in.

The Jerome Flynn spotlight was also awesome.  He talked about what it was like to play Sir Bronn, what his favorite lines were, and favorite episodes and scenes.  You can actually watch the entire session here on YouTube.

Saturday 7/13/2019 – here are the sessions I attended (links to YouTube videos where available)

• 10:00am – The Ringer – Binge Mode: Live Recording
• 11:05am – At Journey’s End:  Brienne of Tarth
• 12:10pm - Spotlight: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Hannah Murray (Gilly), and Miltos Yerolemou (Syrio Forel)
• 1:15pm – At Journey’s End:  Arya Stark
• 2:20pm – A Storm of Spoilers:  Live Recording
• 3:25pm – Spotlight:  Kieran Belshaw (concept artist for GoT)
• 4:30pm – Name Day Morning Quarterback: Why ___ lost the Game of Thrones?

Day 2 was definitely packed with so many highlights!  Where do I even start?? 

I got to see one of my favorite Podcasts live!  Binge Mode:  Game of Thrones with Mallory Ruben and Dave Concepcion!

The spotlight with four of the actors from GoT, interviewed by the Binge Mode podcasters was SO GOOD.  This was THE SESSION to attend during the 3-day CoT.  The huge auditorium was PACKED.  You can watch the entire session here on YouTube!

Getting to see a live recording of one of my other favorite Game of Thrones podcasts, A Storm of Spoilers with Dave Gonzales, Joanna Robinson, and Neil Miller! 

And the Spotlight session with Kieran Belshaw, the concept artist on GoT, and now also Star Wars The Mandalorian! 

The concept art he created was SO AMAZING!  He basically drew out each scene and then the set designers and FX artists went to work based on the concept art!

Cersei escaping the Red Keep with The Mountain and Qyburn.

Jon Snow approaching the throne room with Drogon emerging from the dust & snow.

One tidbit that Kieran shared was that the showrunners originally wanted the circle of council in the very last episode to occur at the destroyed throne room.  But the scene got moved to the Dragon Pit.

Kieran Belshaw was humble, informative, and so talented.  It was a joy to see his concept art.  You can actually watch his entire session along with ALL the art he brought here on YouTube!  I commented on his Instagram that night and he commented back! 

Sunday 7/14/2019 – here are the sessions I attended (links to YouTube videos where available)

• 10:00am – Making Sense of the Magic
• 11:05am – Spotlight:  Miltos Yerolemou (Syrio Forel)
• 12:10pm – Spotlight:  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)
• 1:15pm – The Game of Thrones Effect:  How GoT Changed TV Forever
• 2:20pm – Learn to Love Season 8 with the Wolf and the Crows
• 3:25pm – Game of Thrones:  Right and Wrong
• 4:30pm – At Journey’s End:  Jaime Lannister

The highlights of Day 3 were the Spotlight sessions with Miltos Yerolemou and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, interviewed by my favorite GoT podcaster Joanna Robinson!

Miltos was such a personable person with a great personality.  He loves the GoT community and has made friends with many regular con attendees.  He has taught the “water dancing” stick fighting to many GoT fans.  He love to take photos with fans and is appreciative of his involvement in GoT. 

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was also gracious, funny, and articulate.  His wife called him while he was on stage and he answered it!  Also, his whole family was there (wife, 2 daughters) and they even went to the marketplace and talked to the vendors and looked at the merchandise.  Just a regular guy!  You can watch the entire session here on YouTube!

The programming the entire three days at CoT was amazing.  We had such a good experience attending our first Con of Thrones!  If you ever get a chance to participate in something you love with other people who also love it as much as you do, I highly recommend it.  There’s nothing like obsessing over something you love with other obsessives!

Here is a YouTube playlist with more videos available of other sessions.

Stay tuned for the cosplay post next!

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Before I Went Back To Work

(This post is postdated back to 9/24, the day before I went back to work.  Just so most posts are somewhat chronological on the blog.)

Ah, so much fun happened in September before I went back to work.  I guess I should say that we made the fun happen, knowing full well that my time of freedom was limited and the end of my leave was near.

On Saturday 9/2 we tried out the new Mendocino Farms in Del Mar for lunch.  We both got salads.  I got the chicken prosciutto salad.  It was huge and I had to take some home.

Todd got this other salad.  (I don’t remember the name, LOL.)

This place is know for their salads and sandwiches.  We saw some other people’s food and everything looked good and fresh.

On Sunday 9/3, after Todd went swimming in the ocean with the Tri Club, we went out to lunch at Curry & More.  Love this place!  I think we went there three times during my leave!

And now, an interlude from Noodle… I love sitting on my catdad when he’s using his laptop in his recliner.  Look at me, king of the house.

On Monday 9/4 (Labor Day) we went out to lunch at URBN Pizza.  It’s New Haven style pizza and we really like it.  We had gone there several times before, including for Todd’s birthday this past February.

We also had the roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.  Yum!

Afterwards we went to Extraordinary Desserts and shared Todd’s favorite cake there, the Trouffe Framboise, and a latte.  This was sort of to celebrate that I finished my 6-week workout program without missing any workouts.  (Yea I know you’re not supposed to reward yourself with food.  I.DON’T.CARE.)

On Tuesday 9/5, I had lunch with my friend Lauren at BJ’s.  It was a lot of fun!  We chatted and caught up on life.

And now, a word from Noodle.  I found this red chair to sleep in, and it was so comfy!  Of course, everything in the house is MINE, so I don’t know why I haven’t slept here in so long.

Also, when catdad comes home from swimming in the ocean, and puts his towel on the ground, it’s for me to sleep on too.

On Thursday 9/7, I met my friend Anne for lunch at Tofu House. 

It was her first time there and she liked it!  We had a lot of fun chatting about our jobs, work life, etc. 

On Tuesday 9/12, I had lunch with a bunch of women friends from work.  We went to Pailin Thai.  It was so much fun hanging out with them.  We chatted about work and what’s going on with each of them.  I’m blessed to have friends from work.

On the same day, right after lunch, I got a text from my manager at work.  I had asked to extend my leave to mid-October.  At first he had said he was supportive.  But two people who were covering for me at work could no longer do it, and they were too overwhelmed.  He said, “If your goal was to make me appreciate you more, I think you have achieved that.”  He offered me a free (off the books) week off in mid-October, if I went back to work on 9/25 and worked the three weeks for quarter-end and the forecasting cycle.  I reluctantly agreed, but I was pretty bummed.

I wrote an Ode To My Shorts on Facebook on Monday 9/18: 

This is the last week of my leave from work. I have agreed to return to work next Monday. This was the first summer in 25 years that I was able to wear shorts all day every day. What a glorious summer it was! I bought a few pairs of shorts to go to Hawaii in April. Little did I know that they would be all I would wear all summer. I loved my Summer of Shorts! I'm sad to return to work next week, but grateful that I had the time of my life the last two months!

Thank you shorts, for the best summer of my life!

Todd made carrot cake to bring to his work book club, so I was the beneficiary of carrot cake for breakfast on 9/21.

 

Noodle has some words to say.  I loved the summer of having a SAHCM (Stay At Home Cat Mom).  It was so great.  I had company at home, and I loved getting snacks and treats during the day.  I also loved watching catmom workout every morning while playing in the papers behind her.

Also, the hoomans got a storage bench at the end of their bed.  They put a towel there and I knew it was a place for me to sleep right away.  That first night I spent the whole night sleeping there.  And then the entire morning the next day!  I only took a break to eat!

On Friday 9/22, I got a pink color refresh by Mel at Ahura Salon.  I wanted to have super-pink hair for returning to work!  (But I still refuse to cover my grown-out grays on top!)

On the same day, Todd’s new iphone 8 Plus came!  He used his iphone 6 for three years and it was starting to be unreliable (rebooting by itself, not charging correctly, etc.), so it was time.  I am still using my iphone 6 because it’s perfectly good, and I’m not paying for a new phone until it breaks!  Todd was really excited though.  And the two camera lenses with optical zoom and portrait mode is pretty spectacular.

On this same Friday Todd came home from work and told me the tremendous good news that he had a meeting with his manager at 3:30 that day and she told him he got his promotion!  It is something we’ve been waiting 10 months for!  I loved hearing this good news three days before I myself headed back to work. 

On Saturday 9/23 we went to Tofu House for dinner.  I just went with Anne, but I love it so we went again.

I finished reading the first Harry Potter book.  (I tried reading it 20 years ago in 1997 but it didn’t take.)  Then we rented the movie off Amazon and watched it on Sat 9/23. 

We spent my last day of freedom (Sunday 9/24) at the beach.  It was a great way to end my leave from work!  It was so clear and the sky was so blue.  Sunny and 75 degrees is my favorite. 

Afterwards we had lunch at Bongiornos. 

Then we had our Sunday night ritual of watching Game of Thrones.  We went back to re-watch Season 6.  Todd opened a bottle of his favorite Spanish wine Muga to celebrate his promotion, and we had some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

And then my 10 week leave of absence from work came to an end.

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